Continue working with the case described in week 3. Prepare a memorandum targeting the following:
1. What staff arrangements are available to meet the needs of external appointments?
2. What staff arrangements are needed to:
- Accommodate the external appointments(show the calculations)
- Meet the needs of internal appointments (show the calculations)
- Reduce the number of external appointments (justify)
3. Organizational plan to accommodate scheduled appointments, emergency appointments, and preventive appointments.
Case Study Associated Materials:
***Correctional Health Care Delivery: Unimpeded Access to Care Section 2 and 4 are recommended for the main reference in working on this assignment.
The Health and Health Care of US Prisoners: Results of a Nationwide Survey
Public Health Behind Bars
Sample Tool Control Policy
Inmate Sick Call Procedures-Corrections
Case Study Details: For the incarcerated population in the United States, health care is a constitutionally guaranteed right under the provisions of the eight amendments which is the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment (see Estelle v. Gamble). This particular prison can hold in excess of 1,728 offenders and routinely houses between 1,600 and 1,700 women on any given day. This institution incarcerates all custody classes to include minimum security, medium security, close custody, death row, and pretrial detainees.
The health care operation provides the highest level of care for female offenders in the state. The health care facility is a 101 thousand square foot, 150 bed, three-story building that cost the taxpayers $50 million dollars to construct and is a hybrid of an ambulatory care center, long-term care center, and behavioral care center. The health care facility also houses an assisted living dorm.
The patient demographic includes women who have multiple co-morbidities including substance abuse, seriously persistent mental illnesses (SPMI), diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, morbid obesity, HIV / AIDs, hepatitis, etc. On any given day there will also be 30 to 60 offenders who are pregnant, with 98% of those offenders having a history of substance abuse; all pregnant offenders are considered high-risk. The dental health of this patient population is exceptionally horrendous because of excessive drug abuse coupled with a sugary diet and poor oral hygiene practices. It is not uncommon for a 23-year-old to need all of her teeth extracted.
There are approximately 300 FTEs, including correctional staff, that operate the facility and provide care to the offender population. The healthcare facility is comprised of the following directorates: (a) Medical, (b) Nursing, (c) Behavioral Health, (d) Pharmacy, (e) Dental, (f) Medical Records, (g) Health Service Support, and (h) Operations and Security.
Although the health care facility has a vast amount of capability, there are limitations: (a) This facility does not have advanced cardiac life support capability (ACLS), (b) no surgical capability, (c) no ability to conduct telemetry, (d) no oral surgery beyond simple extractions, (e) no obstetrical capability beyond out-patient clinics, (f) MRI, (g) level 2 ultrasound, and the list goes on.
Those inmates with medical needs that cannot be addressed by the health services staff at the correctional facility will need appointments with external health care providers who have a business relationship with the prisons in this area. On any given month, there will be approximately 300 offenders who will go to outside medical appointments, and making certain that these appointments take place is where the challenge lies. Similar to many healthcare operations, the prison Utilization Review / Case Management Department facilitates all external appointments and forms the lynchpin between the correctional facility healthcare providers who refer offenders for specialty appointments and the outside organization providing that appointment.
Your assignment: You are the Case Coordinator. You have 300 patients that need to be scheduled for outside specialty appointments every month. You are tasked by the Administrator to develop a strategic plan for organizing the out-of-the-facility appointments without impairing internal services.
How to solve
hmt 495 week 6 Case Study # 3
Nursing Assignment Help
Introduction:
As the Case Coordinator for a correctional health care facility, the task at hand is to develop a strategic plan for organizing external appointments for the patient population without compromising internal services. This memorandum will address the staff arrangements required to meet the needs of both external and internal appointments, demonstrate the calculations involved in accommodating these appointments, propose a plan to reduce the number of external appointments, and provide an organizational plan to accommodate scheduled, emergency, and preventive appointments.
1. What staff arrangements are available to meet the needs of external appointments?
To meet the needs of external appointments, the staff arrangements available include:
– Utilization Review/Case Management Department: This department plays a crucial role in facilitating external appointments by acting as the middleman between healthcare providers within the correctional facility and external healthcare providers. They arrange for specialty appointments, coordinate referrals, and ensure that the appointments take place.
– Correctional Staff: Although not healthcare professionals, correctional staff can assist in the transportation and supervision of inmates during external appointments.
– Healthcare Providers: The facility’s healthcare providers may also be involved in the arrangement and coordination of external appointments, especially when it comes to determining the medical necessity and appropriateness of the referral.
2. What staff arrangements are needed to:
a. Accommodate the external appointments (show the calculations)
b. Meet the needs of internal appointments (show the calculations)
c. Reduce the number of external appointments (justify)
a. To accommodate the external appointments, the following staff arrangements might be needed:
-Additional Utilization Review/Case Management staff: Depending on the volume of external appointments, additional staff members might be required to efficiently handle the referral process, coordinate appointments, and communicate with external healthcare providers. The exact number of staff can be determined by assessing the workload and workload benchmarks, such as the number of referrals processed per staff member.
b. To meet the needs of internal appointments, the current healthcare staff can be utilized. However, it might be necessary to review the workload and ensure that the existing staff members have sufficient capacity to handle both internal and external appointments without compromising the quality of care. Adjustments in staff scheduling or allocation might be necessary to accommodate both types of appointments effectively.
c. To reduce the number of external appointments, a focus on preventive healthcare within the correctional facility can be implemented. This can include:
– Enhanced primary care services within the facility: By improving the scope and quality of primary care services available onsite, the need for external specialty appointments can be minimized. This involves expanding the range of services offered, investing in additional medical equipment and technology, and ensuring that the healthcare staff is adequately trained.
– Collaborative partnerships with external healthcare providers: Establishing collaborative agreements with external healthcare providers can enable the provision of certain specialized services within the correctional facility itself. For example, arranging for periodic visits by specialists to the facility can reduce the need for offenders to be transported to external appointments.
3. Organizational plan to accommodate scheduled appointments, emergency appointments, and preventive appointments.
To effectively accommodate scheduled appointments, emergency appointments, and preventive appointments, the following organizational plan can be implemented:
– Develop a centralized scheduling system: Implementing a centralized scheduling system will streamline appointment bookings and prevent conflicts or overlapping appointments. This system should be accessible to all healthcare staff involved in the appointment process and should include mechanisms to prioritize urgent or emergency appointments.
– Allocate dedicated resources for emergency appointments: Preparing a dedicated team or staff members to handle emergency appointments promptly is crucial. This team should be trained to assess and triage emergency cases, ensuring they receive timely and appropriate care.
– Implement a proactive preventive healthcare program: Establishing a proactive preventive healthcare program within the correctional facility can help identify and address potential health issues before they escalate. This includes conducting regular screenings, implementing health education programs, and providing access to preventive services within the facility.
In conclusion, addressing the needs of external appointments requires coordination between the utilization review/case management department, correctional staff, and healthcare providers. Additional staff arrangements may be necessary to accommodate the volume of external appointments. Meeting the needs of internal appointments requires assessing the workload and ensuring sufficient capacity without compromising care. To reduce the number of external appointments, a focus on preventive healthcare within the facility and collaborative partnerships with external providers can be established. To efficiently accommodate all types of appointments, a centralized scheduling system and allocation of dedicated resources for emergencies should be implemented alongside a proactive preventive healthcare program.
